P'burg Introduces Tardy 1994 Proposed Budget

After a number of work sessions in recent weeks, Phillipsburg Town Council introduced its 1994 budget last night.

This year's proposed budget of $10,339,445 compares with a 1993 budget of $9,311,706, said Council President William Jiorle. Council also agreed to hold a hearing on the budget at 7 p.m. May 17.

FOR THE RECORD - (Published Friday, April 8, 1994) A headline in Wednesday's paper said Phillipsburg's proposed 1994 budget was "tardy." The deadline for submiting the introduced budget to New Jersey officials is today, and Phillipsburg will meet that deadline, according to Mayor Gloria Decker.

No tax rate has been set for the proposed budget, Jiorle said. Council is expecting the same amount of state aid this year as last, and will have to consider raising taxes and reductions in spending if that does not happen, he said.

The increase in appropriations over last year is due to an increase of $500,000 in the state's allowance for uncollected taxes, as well as state monies already allocated for improvement projects, Jiorle said.

Because of the delays in the 1994 budget process, council also adopted a temporary budget of $1,815,354 for the months of April through June. The temporary budget is based on last year's budget numbers, Jiorle said.

In January, council adopted a temporary budget of $2,105,126 for the months of January through March, Jiorle said.

Council has yet to introduce its capital budget, Jiorle said. That budget will include a proposal for a $250,000 upgrade of Phillipsburg's dispatch center, including the addition of a 911 emergency dispatch system.

Phillipsburg has opposed joining a tax-funded countywide dispatch center that will include 911 and is tentatively scheduled to open October 6. Town officials have said they can operate their own system more cheaply and efficiently.

Yesterday the town's police chief, James Macaulay, told council he preferred the overhaul over the cheaper option of adding a 911 emergency system to the town's present facilities.

"Our desk was built in 1970, it's quite old and everything has to be upgraded," he said. "It's time for an upgrade."

In other action, by a 3-2 vote, council passed a first reading of an ordinance reducing the town's $2,000-a-year liquor license fee -- the highest that can be charged under state law -- to $1,700.

The two dissenters, Harry Wyant Jr. and Meryl Crozier, had argued that the fee should be reduced by $200 to mirror the state's limit on raising license fees to 10 percent a year. The money is needed for the town's funds, they argued.

"By doing this you're going to penalize some other part of the budget and I don't think that's fair," said Crozier.

But Councilman Sal Cassar argued that liquor merchants are another type of town merchant who are trying to survive.

Stores like Burger King and Laneco don't have to pay license fees "and they make a heck of a lot more money" than bar owners, he said.

Council also passed a motion to rescind its order dissolving the town's parking authority. Council stated its intention of passing the motion last month after authority members announced changes asked for by some council members, who had said they wanted the body to become a planning agency as well as one for enforcement.